End of the Week Tip: Fairway Metals from the Fairway

Hitting fairway metals from the fairway can be difficult.  Here are some tips to help you take advantage of your fairway metals on long approaches:

·       Have the right equipment.  Most players automatically put a 3 wood in the bag as their next logical choice of club following a driver.  However not every player generates enough club head speed to launch a 3 wood high enough for it to go any further than your next club.  Using launch monitor technology like Trackman you can see what your carry distance is relative to the next club in the bag.  A 4 or 5 wood may turn out to be the optimum club to follow the driver.

·       Choose your target wisely.  Pin seeking with a fairway metal isn’t always a good idea, especially if the pin is guarded by bunkers, rough or water hazards.  Choose a target line that will allow the ball to roll out after hitting the ground and will keep you out of trouble if the ball lands a little short of your intended destination. 

·       Stick the finish.  When the ball is on the ground versus a tee, our subconscious may tell us to “lift” the ball in the air, resulting in topped shots that stay on the ground.  These swings also result in finishes that hang back, or end with more weight on the back foot instead of the front.  Be sure to contact the ground and finish with your weight on the front foot, allowing the loft of the club to do its job and get the ball in the air.

End of the Week Tip: Avoiding High Numbers

It’s a fairly common thing for most golfers to have a good round going only to have their score inflated by a couple bad holes.  Here are some tips to help you avoid those big numbers and keep your scores where they belong:

·       Choose the correct recovery shot.  Errant shots are sometimes unavoidable when you play.  The trouble comes from turning one bad shot into several.  Assessing the amount of risk involved when attempting a recovery shot is critical.  Look at it two ways: what is the easiest shot that gets the ball in play and which shot is the most aggressive.  The answer usually lies in the middle.  Just remember, bogey isn’t always bad.  

·       Practice those recovery shots.  Attempting a shot you’ve never attempted during the course of a competitive round is a big no.  After a few rounds you may discover that you keep finding yourself in a particular situation but are unsure how to proceed.  Whether on the driving range or on the course, the next time you practice try to recreate your trouble shots.

·       Get creative.  Some of the most “creative” golfers on Tour just so happen to be some the least accurate drivers off the tee.  Because they spend a lot of time hitting recovery shots, they’ve gotten creative in how to produce the best results.  Hopefully the majority of your shots are in the fairway, but be prepared by using your creativity and practicing the recovery shots that will be the difference between you making par or triple bogey.

2016 Programs and Rates

The End of the Week Tip will return next week. Please send me your suggestions for a golf tip and I'll do my best to answer!

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2016 Programs and Rates

 

• Individual Rates (45 minutes)

  • Adult: $100
  • Junior (21 and under): $80
  • 2 Hour Playing Lesson: $150
  • K-Vest Evaluation (30 min.): $50
  • Sam Putt Lab Evaluation: $90
  • 1 Hour Iron Fitting: $80
  • 2 Hour Sam Putt Lab Fitting: 150  

 

• Val-Pak (6 lessons for the price of 5)                                                                                         

Adult: $500                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Junior: $400                                                                                                                                                                                                                

*Expires 2 years from purchase date                                                                                                                                                                

Coaching Package (4 month term)

Adult: $1,120 (or $300 w/ auto pay)

Junior: $960 (or $260 w/ auto pay)

16 sessions (avg. 1 per week) for 4 months. Includes an equipment evaluation, Shot By Shot stat tracking, Sam Putt Lab, K-Vest evaluation, and on course training. 

3% added to credit card purchases                             

End of the Week Tip: Be Creative and Have Fun!

Creativity on the golf course will not only improve your score, it will make the game of golf more fun and exciting. Hopefully every drive is in the middle of the fairway and every approach is very close to the hole. However, the chances are that you experience some trouble every once in a while that requires you to use your brain to escape it.

Here are a few things to consider when trying to get creative on the course:

·       Consider the risk vs. reward.  I like to think of the worst case scenario when attempting a high risk shot and make sure I’ll be comfortable with myself if it happens.  That frees up any anxiety the shot could create and gives me my best chance to succeed. If the worst case is too much to handle then it may not be a good idea to attempt the shot.

·       Practice creativity on the range.  The best place to discover the different shots you can hit is on the driving range.  I’m a big proponent of having always attempted any given shot in practice before using in a round of golf.  A great way to practice your creativity on the range is to choose a target between 100-125 yards away, and practice hitting every club in your bag to that target. Then practice intentionally curving the ball and controlling your trajectory to hit high and low shots.   Do this with every club in the bag and you’ll find that there a few clubs in there that are easier to control which means they can be your go-to clubs on the course.

·       Practicing on the course.  Without delaying pace of play, it’s always a good idea when you’re on the course in a non-competitive round to practice your creativity.  Challenge your friends to a contest of who can pull off the wildest, most creative shot on the course.  The possibilities are endless so get creative and have fun!

End of the Week Tip: The Game Inside the Game - Putting

There are few things as invigorating for a golfer as smashing a drive down the middle of the fairway 10 to 20 yards past your playing partners.  But when it comes to consistently scoring at or below your handicap, one part of the game becomes very important.  It is often referred to as the game inside the game: putting.

Here are some ideas to make sure you’re getting the most from the flat stick.

·       Make sure your putter fits.  Clubfitting has come a long way in the last few years but few people take the time to make sure their putter actually fits them.  Today I use Sam Putt Lab to measure the finest details of the putting stroke to make educated decisions on putter fitting. Personal preference is important when it comes to the brand, and possibly the weight of the putter, but make sure the length and lie angle of your putter accomplishes the following things at address:

1.     Putter is flat on the ground

2.     Eyes are directly over or slightly inside the ball

3.     Arms hang naturally from your shoulders

·       Speed control is key.  The size of your putting stroke will determine the speed of the putter and the distance of your putt.  But much like judging how far your arm would go back to throw a ball, little thought needs to be involved.  Use the practice green before a round to determine the speed of the greens, and then use that knowledge on the course.  Let your body react to the speed, slope, and distance of the putt.  

End of the Week Tip: Short Game's Tight Lies

The technique used to get the ball close to the hole from a closely mown lie can be very different from when the ball is in taller grass.  Follow these tips to make sure you perform your best when you find yourself in a closely mown area around the green:

·       Club selection.  My first rule when around the green is to use your putter if at all possible.  Closely mown areas around the green can offer several opportunities to use your putter.  But sometimes the shot is either too long or you need to carry the ball over a steep slope or obstacle.  In this case, you want to select a club that will create your desired ball flight.  Just make sure whichever club you pick is one that you’ve spent time rehearsing in practice.

·       “Land” the club on the ground like an airplane. In Andrew Rice’s “Wedge Project” he discusses how your club should stay as close to the ground as possible for as long as possible through impact.  This means trying to hit down on the ball is a bad idea that will result in inconsistent contact.  “Landing” the club on the ground through impact can be achieved by using little to no wrist hinge in the swing and rotating your upper body to swing the club.  You will also notice that there is little to no divot when you execute this shot properly.

·       Go for the draw.  In order to “land” your club it needs to come in shallow and from inside the target line.  The draw, curving right to left for the right handed golfer, is created with a swing path that is from the inside and shallow.  Practice this by placing an alignment rod in the ground on the target line about 10 feet in front of the ball.  Make the ball start just right of the stick then slightly curve left back to the target (opposite for left handed golfers).

End of the Week Tip: Improve Ball Striking

One of the most important things needed to play good golf is to be able to hit the center of the club face (aka the sweet spot) with some regularity. The benefits of hitting the center of the club are many, but none as big as it simply feels good when you make solid contact.

If you can improve your ability to make center contact, you can begin lowering your scores to levels you may have never imagined.  Here are some things to consider when trying to improve your overall ball striking:

·       Pre-swing fundamentals like grip, aim, alignment, and posture can be difficult if you’ve never had instruction to guide you.  But compared to the intricacies involved in a full swing, pre-swing fundamentals are a simple, necessary step to make sure your ball striking won’t suffer.  A lesson with your local PGA professional is well worth the investment just to make sure your game isn’t suffering from simple, fundamental mistakes.

·       Find the sweet spot.  It still amazes me how many golfers there are that aren’t sure when their ball hits the center of the clubface.  When feel isn’t providing enough feedback, it is important that you find a way to see where the ball is hitting the clubface.  Impact tape applied to the clubface has been used for a long time to get proper feedback, but it can be expensive and can influence the feel you get at impact.  Try covering the clubface with a dry erase marker or foot spray (like Dr. Scholl’s) as an inexpensive way to see where the ball is contacting the clubface.

·       Get in shape.  You may have the best golf swing in the world, but for it to hold up for 18 holes, especially under pressure, your body needs to be in good condition.  Today’s stars on the PGA Tour prove this point day in and day out.  Golf specific fitness programs like the Titleist Performance Institute are great ways to get in golf shape.  But if you’re unable to start those programs, simply walking the course more often will begin building your endurance.

End of the Week Tip: Reduce Tension with the Waggle

I had never really heard of a waggle before I read Ben Hogan's Five Lessons. Then I realized it was something that I had been doing all along and didn't know it.

On the PGA Tour, Jason Dufner is known for a very long, pronounced waggle before every full swing.  His waggle has been praised and criticized by many, but in my opinion it plays a crucial role in his success.

A waggle can be defined as any movement made before the swing to reduce tension in your body.  Tension can be a killer of any golf swing, so having a waggle (of some kind) is important to creating consistent golf swings.

Here are a few tips to help you reduce tension in your swing:

·       Use a waggle.  There are many different ways to waggle the club before you swing.  Dufner’s method is a very big waggle that is repeated as many as 10 times before he actually swings.  Any method you choose is fine as long as you can feel the tension escaping your body.

·       Avoid freezing over the ball.  Many amateur golfers tend to freeze over the ball before they swing.  Just like a free throw in basketball begins with a slight bend in the knees, the golf swing needs an igniter.  Any time you freeze over the ball, tension creeps in and makes it difficult to repeat your swing.

·       Monitor your grip pressure.  The waggle is a great way to maintain a proper grip pressure.  When your grip pressure is too tight, your wrists become locked and immobile.  Another great test for grip pressure is to take your grip, hold the club in front of you parallel to the ground, and make circles with the clubhead using only your wrists.  As long as the club stays secure in your hands (no slipping!) and you can make the circles, then you have the proper grip pressure. 

End of the Week Tip: Create Speed for Distance

One thing all great long hitters have in common is excessive club head speeds.  Here are a few keys that you can follow to try and elevate your club head speed and increase your distance:

·       Understand the importance of kinematic sequence.  I know that sounds technical, but if you’ve ever tried to throw an object as far as you can, you’ve likely used kinematic sequence and didn’t know it.  Kinematic sequence is simply the order your body moves.  For a golf swing, to reach maximum club head speed your downswing should begin with the lower body, then upper body, and finally the club.  This creates a whip like effect in the club head which will increase your club head speed.

·       Wrist hinge. I’ve seen too many players on the lesson tee come in worrying about how or if their wrists are hinging.  Truth is the weight of the club will do the heavy lifting/hinging for you.  In other words, allow your wrists to hinge on the backswing, and think nothing of them on the downswing.  The torque you’re creating by moving your body in the correct sequence will be translated to the wrists as long as they are passive and somewhat tension free.    

·       Many golfers that try to swing faster actually make the club head swing slower!  Consider purchasing a basic (inexpensive) swing speed radar that simply measures your club head speed.  Another great form of feedback is the sound the club makes through impact.  The louder the whoosh, the more club head speed you have created.

Bonus: Want more on creating speed for distance? Click here to check out a great article by Mike Bender that he did for Golf Digest. 

End of the Week Tip: Improve Lower Body Stability

Lower body stability during a full swing is crucial in making solid, consistent contact with the ball. Tour players are great examples of how stability is key to a repeatable swing. How many times have you ever seen a Tour player lose balance on a normal full swing?  

Here are a few tips to help you maintain lower body stability and make solid contact with the ball:

·       You must begin with good balance in the setup to have a stable lower body.  Use an athletic posture with your knees slightly bent for balance.  Not sure if you’re balanced?  While in your posture just before you swing, lift your toes up off the ground. Then move your weight forward so your heels come off the ground.  The last step is to gently put your heels down and stop shifting your weight when you feel pressure on the balls of your feet, just behind your toes.

·       Limit lower body rotation on your backswing.  If stability is an issue, then there’s a good chance you turn your lower body away from the target too much on the backswing.  Ideally, your lower body should turn no more than 45 degrees when at the top of the backswing.  Having trouble getting the feel of a proper lower body turn?  I use 3D motion technology like K-Vest to help my players find the proper lower body turn.

·       Always end with a good, balanced finish.  There’s a reason why all the best ball strikers on Tour hold the famous pose at the end of every full swing.  If you can maintain your balance to your finish, chances are you remained stable enough in your lower body throughout the swing to hit a good golf shot.  As a general rule, I have my students hold their finish with their weight on their lead leg and body facing the target for at least 3 seconds after every shot.